Category Archives: NON-FICTION

Why is Legal abortion such a controversial topic? It’s a hot topic that has been widely discussed and debated in the United States due to its ethical implications. The ending of a fetus’ or embryo’s life is one of those ethical implications in which many on both sides of the question agree that human life in its beginning deserves respect and the right to be protected. However, for many there is a second ethical implication that trumps the first, that of protecting women and their rights. Illegal and unsafe abortion practices lead to severe complications and even maternal deaths. This has a detrimental impact not just on the immediate families but also on society as a whole.

A legal abortion is defined as an abortion performed by a licensed physician, or a licensed advanced practice clinician acting under the supervision of a licensed physician, and under certain medical conditions. Consequently, legal abortions are regulated procedures that were previously practiced under unsafe conditions or by unskilled abortionists increasing the risks associated with the procedure. So, one perspective on this issue is that women have the right to receive proper medical care when they seek abortion services.

It is a fact that every year a large number of women seek and decide to use induced abortions in order to terminate unwanted pregnancies. Thus, the practice of abortion represents a relevant social and health problem that must be solved with the intervention of government and social and health authorities.

There are three important reasons why we consider legal abortions necessary. The first and most important is that legal abortions have a relevant impact on the reduction of maternal mortality and other complications due to unsafe abortion practices. Second, it allows women to obtain a timely abortion reducing the risk of complications. The third reason is that regulated legal abortions allow for the gathering of creditable statistical data.

According to the World Health Organization, 47,000 women die annually worldwide from complications directly related to illegal abortions. It’s important to note that in the United States, prior to 1973, as many as 5,000 American women died annually as a direct result of unsafe abortions. After induced abortion was legalized, the rates of maternal mortality and related complications due to illegal abortions decreased about 84%. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the current death rate due to abortion in the US is very low (0.6 x 100,000 abortions).

The qualified and immediate medical intervention that legalized abortion services offer in case of serious complications that may develop during the procedure (heavy bleeding, perforation of the uterus, cervical laceration, etc.) is an important component of the successful delivery of this service that illegal abortions usually could not offer. This ability along with the opportunity to seek timely medical care when complications like infections, retained tissue, etc., appear after the procedure, contributes to the reduction of long-term abortion complications and maternal death rates. It can be said then that legal abortions save thousands of women every year in the United States.

Complications due to abortions are more common when the procedure is done after the first trimester of gestation (13 weeks). Since legal abortion services allow a woman to have an abortion prior to the 13th week of gestation, the risk of complications is reduced. For example, in the United States, 88% of abortions are performed in the first trimester of gestation, most of them before the ninth week of gestation; therefore, the risk of complications derived from the procedure is minimal. On the other hand, the prohibition of the procedure delays when an abortion is performed, as a consequence of the limited access to illegal abortionists, and increases abortion rates in the second and third trimester of gestation.

The legalization of abortion is not only a way to provide effective and competent medical service to women who seek an abortion, but is also a way to obtain trustworthy data. It allows social institutions and authorities to identify the characteristics and profile of women who are at a high risk of unintended pregnancies and abortions. Likewise, it allows them to know the magnitude of the problem and implement programs to address it. In countries where abortion is illegal, statistics about abortion rates and related complications are unknown and can only be estimated from death rates or complications that require hospitalization.

Statistics show that in the United States induced abortions are more frequent between the ages of 20 and 29, and among African American, Hispanic, low educated and low income women. Thus, the rates of induced abortions are related to critical social problems that are caused by socioeconomic differences and/or due to a lack of access to health care services and education. Consequently, it is common that many women who seek an abortion are not aware of the ethical implications and medical complications that may stem from the procedure. Nor are they aware of the existence of other options, aside from an abortion, to cope with the unwanted pregnancy. Many of them do not know about the adoption process or the different programs that allow mothers to be in contact with the family that adopts their babies, or have misgivings about this option. Others reject the option of parenting assuming they cannot afford a baby even before exploring the possibility of getting support and help from relatives, friends and government institutions that could have helped with the costs of parenting.

Regarding the use of contraceptive methods, statistics also show that many women who have abortions use contraceptives inconsistently or do not use any contraceptive method at all. The lack of access to health services and contraceptive methods along with the lack of knowledge regarding their use and function put women at risk of having unwanted pregnancies and multiple induced abortions. The risk of complications increases with the number of abortions. Moreover, legal abortion services, in contrast to illegal abortionists, provide counseling about abortion and contraceptive methods to prevent repeated unwanted pregnancies.

These social problems associated with the rates of abortion in the U.S. led us to reflect and point out some observations. All women at risk of unwanted pregnancies should know:

All women of reproductive age are at risk of getting pregnant when they have unprotected sexual intercourse. So, always use a contraceptive method.

Use contraceptive methods correctly and systematically for them to be effective.

The risks from the use of contraceptive methods of any type are always lower than the risks from having an abortion.

Always consider an abortion as a last resort option since it implies the termination of a human life that deserves to be respected and protected.

An abortion should only be performed in the first trimester of gestation when the risks of complications are minimal.

The risk of complications increases with repeated abortions, consequently they should be avoided.

Giving the baby away for adoption is a way to give the baby the chance to live, and to bring joy to infertile couples and other families that want to adopt. So, it is an option that should always be considered before deciding to abort.

Parenting is the best option; family and friends along with different government programs and institutions, with the intervention of social workers, can support and help single women to cope with unwanted pregnancies.

All these considerations lead to the conclusion that in this multicultural country, where unwanted pregnancies are a relevant problem and where minorities have less access to health care services and less social opportunities, legal abortions are necessary and save women.

Rather than prohibiting and illegalizing abortions, the best way to reduce the rates of abortion is by considering the observations listed above, by reducing socioeconomic differences, by increasing access to education and health care services and by offering a variety of effective, safe, and affordable contraceptive methods to minorities.

Share this:

Like this:

Not many people plan to spend the rest of their lives surrounded by death. I’m just a happy exception to that general rule. I try my best to let people know about the lively, warm type of person I am before all-else. It’s far too easy to conjure up the humorously morbid mortician stereotype, but people close to me know better than that. I would like to think that I’m now a passionate and motivated person with a lot of hopes and goals because of my choice to be a funeral services major, rather than in spite of it.

My friends call me “Vivi,” which happens to be the Latin word for “Alive.” This was no ironic choice on their part, but instead, an affectionate nickname. I’ve been obsessed with a character called Vivi from the popular video game Final Fantasy IX since I was eight years old. Since that age, I’ve fixated on him as the ideal friend. He was warm, compassionate, intelligent, and towards the end of the game, struggled with the concept of his own mortality. I wanted to be the kind of person who could help others come to a comfortable place with that kind of reality – with mortality. Just like Vivi, I’ve always tried to be the kind of person that can be there to help somebody on possibly the worst day of their life. I try and exude a type of comforting aura, but I’ve still got a long way to go to be the kind of person I want to be.

At the end of tenth grade, I dropped out of high school. Most people seem to be at least a little surprised to hear that, but I think I saw it coming for years. I had a long run of psychological issues that culminated in an existential breakdown. Knowing that our time in this existence was limited, I became increasingly frustrated with things I perceived as a waste of my time. I wanted to be free, and live my life according to my every whim, even if that just manifested in staying home and playing video games all day. One day, I realized that I wasn’t doing myself any favors. That maybe being steadfast is a virtue on the path to actually living life to its fullest extent.

After three years of shutting myself in my bedroom every day, I opened my front door and stepped outside my house. Not just to take out the trash, or check the mailbox, but to embrace the world again. I started by taking online classes, soon got my GED, and now sit in a college classroom as I type this essay. Now, I know that when you hit rock bottom in any sense, the only way to go is up. I intend to stay this path and I intend to become a respected and educated person.

My grandmother died due to heart failure three years ago. Despite all my talk of mortality and short life spans, I had never experienced the loss of a human family member until that day. I watched the funeral directors and attendants move from office to office in the funeral parlor where my weeping grandfather sat. I saw so much noble efficiency in how they carried out their tasks. I saw them exercising a perfect measure of sensitivity toward my family. I saw them utterly in their element.

When I got to see my grandmother in her casket, I was taken aback with how well they took care of her body. I was overcome with emotion; suddenly everything made sense to me. I want to make that kind of a difference in someone’s life, and I want to restore a measure of honor to those whom’s time on earth has drawn to a close – to put the bereaved at peace with their loss. If I prosper in this career and make one person feel the way I did in that late spring three years ago, then my whole life would have been worth it.

I’m not a two dimensional caricature of a person, and there is quite a lot to my personality aside from what some might imagine after hearing what my major is. I’m a very lucky person. I have been blessed with a family that stands by me. Each and every day is a fortunate day. I can appreciate the every day beauty that surrounds me more than ever. Mostly, I’m just glad to be alive to see this day. I’m glad to be Vivi.

Share this:

Like this:

“Who hasn’t seen Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Venus or Brunelleschi’s Dome?” These are icons of Florence everyone is familiar with. People might not remember the artists’ names, but they associate these images with the City of Renaissance. With millions of tourists each year, Florence is considered one of the most popular and desirable tourist destinations. There is so much to experience in terms of art and architecture. These treasures are in every corner, every street and every square to enjoy: museums, palaces, art galleries, buildings, churches and monuments. But also, there are other treasures to discover and experience: sophisticated stores, cafés, markets, bakeries, craft workshops, and antique shops.

THE DAVID AND THE PERSEO

Raffaele Ammavuta

I still remember the anticipation and excitement as a kid in elementary school when the month of May was approaching. The school year was about to finish and the teacher would have taken the class for a few field trips in the historical center of Florence, my hometown. It was sunny and the fresh crisp air was already warm when we got off the bus in Piazza Duomo. We were immediately mesmerized by the beauty of this huge cathedral, The Dome, one of the biggest buildings of the Christian World. Commissioned to the architect Arnolfo di Cambio in 1296, it took almost 200 years to be completed, by several architects. The enormous Dome, designed by Brunelleschi, is a technical wonder. The architect came up with the revolutionary idea to use self-supporting interlocking bricks to avoid any internal structure. The Dome, the very symbol of Florence, rises 350 feet and offers an expansive, spectacular view of the city. The exterior of the whole cathedral is a delicate pattern mix of white, green and pink marble that shines in the sunlight. The façade, with its sculptures, endless bas-relieves and carvings, is an amazing combination of balanced, rigorous design and brilliant creativity that looks like precious lace from the distance.

“Come on kids, it is time to go! The Dome will be our next field trip,” the teacher shouted.

THE DOUMO Raffaele Ammavuta

While walking orderly in line with my classmates along Via Calzaioli, one of the most elegant streets in town, I was fascinated by the rigorous style of the buildings, the beauty of the stores and the sweet, intense smell of pastry coming from the cafés.

“What’s that building , Teacher?” I asked.

“That’s Palazzo Rucellai,” she answered.

“What about that one?” somebody else asked.

“That is Palazzo Antinori,” she said.

“When were these buildings built?” a third classmate asked.

“In the 1300’s, when Florence was one of the richest cities of Europe, and art and commerce flourished,” the Teacher said.

All these buildings, which belonged to noble families, were grand and majestic. They expressed a sense of perfection, elegance and severity aimed to reflect wealth and power. I marveled at the stores along the street selling shoes, clothes, fashion accessories, jewelry, ceramics and antiques. The store windows were all refined and polished, displaying the items with a sense of uniqueness. Also, the stylish cafés, with people sitting outside at tables, sipping cappuccino, eating pastries, and speaking foreign languages, were just beautiful to watch.

Once outside of the Uffizi, I was amazed by the superb architectural structure of the palace. It was designed by the architect Giorgio Vasari in 1550, originally to house the Administrative Offices of Cosimo de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. However, from the beginning, Cosimo de’ Medici took aside the whole third floor to house his art collection which was enriched overtime by other members of the family. The elegant colonnade complex runs down from Piazza della Signoria toward the Arno River like a grand avenue. The enormous museum contains masterworks of paintings from the Middle Ages to the 18th century, from artists such as Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Paolo Uccello, Raffaello, Piero della Francesca and Bellini; you name it, it’s there. In addition, the museum houses a vast collection of paintings from the Dutch School and sculptures from Roman times. All the masterpieces that we had seen in books, while in school, were waiting for us.

Once inside the Uffizi, the Botticelli’s Venus was a dream. The Goddess of Love was in the center of the painting, emerging from the ocean, driven ashore by the wind on a huge shell. On the right, the Spring Goddess was waiting to welcome her with a gown to cover her naked beauty. On the left, the God of Wind and an angel were caressing Venus with their breath, blowing flowers all around, moving Venus’ long hair, the gown and the leaves in the background. Venus was radiant, pure and gorgeous. The scene was sublime. My jaw dropped from amazement.

The morning was gone and the Teacher took us to the Mercato Centrale to have lunch. We were blown away by the feverish activities of the market. The vendors shouted, with a thick Florentine accent, to attract customers to their merchandise, fresh colorful fruit in yellows, reds, oranges, browns and every color in between. Also there were the vegetables in all shades of green and the intense, inviting smell of cold cuts and cheese that made us want to taste that soprassata, that wild boar prosciutto or that cheese from Sardinia one had never had before. We headed to the bakery, where we bought generous pieces of focaccia bread filled with prosciutto and cheese. It was exhilarating. It was warm, fragrant, crusty on the outside and soft on the inside; the filling melting in our mouth. All the simple ingredients: olive oil, salt and herbs were perfectly balanced. We also bought some zesty and juicy fruit from the greengrocer and went to sit on the steps of the market to enjoy the scenery of daily life. Everybody was talking, moving and gesturing animatedly. The butcher singing while cutting meat, the baker taking more bread out of the oven, the greengrocer loading fruit and vegetables on the stalls, the grocer giving samples of cheese to customers and the fish vendor, with squids in each of his hands, shouting that his fish was the best. It was spectacular, pure theatre.

PALAZZO VECCHIO Raffaele Ammavuta

Florence is beyond art. That is what I like about it. Yes, one can enjoy the treasures of history, art and architecture and travel back in time, but it is also an intense pleasure to wander around the narrow streets and hidden squares to find and experience the treasures of daily life. Whenever I’m back in Florence, I love strolling through the street. Without knowing where I’m going, I just let my senses guide me. I know though that I have to follow that sweet, divine smell of pastry that pulls me to enter a pasticceria. The little pieces of colorful fruit have been placed by patient, knowledgeable hands. Just looking at these treasures is mouth watering. The freshness of the dough and the cream are amazing. I eat two of them and drink a strong, creamy espresso that instantly wakes me up. Recharged, I continue to explore. I pass a little square with a well right in the center of it and as I look up, an old lady is leaning out of the window. She looks at me, I smile and wave at her, she nods and smiles back at me.

While walking, I am attracted to a tiny window that reveals a leather workshop. The craftsman has managed to create glass shelves displaying little leather boxes in different dimensions: squared, round, triangular and in different colors.

“May I come in?” I ask.

“Are you kidding? Of course,” the craftsman replies with his sharp Florentine sense of humor.

Surprisingly, the workshop is bigger than I thought. The desk, where the man works, has tools to cut, curve and bend the leather, and create texture to it. The smell is exhilarating, and I am fascinated by the passion and devotion the man puts into his work; knowledge and skills passed down from generations. I end up buying three boxes.

Back in the street, I pass a florist, a bookstore and an antique shop. A heavenly smell of bread circulates in the air and pretty soon a bakery appears around the corner. Inside, the scent of the olive oil and the aroma of the herbs are invigorating. Different kinds of focaccia bread are displayed: rosemary, onion, arugula, olive, potato, basil and tomato. The baker presses her fingers to give texture to the dough’s surface and to create holes to let the olive oil sit there. I have to try three pieces. How is it possible that these simple ingredients give such flavor? The baker knows what she is doing.

FLORENCE Raffaele Ammavuta

As I leave the bakery I turn left and follow a little street that leads to the Arno River. I sit on the parapet to enjoy the sun of the late afternoon and the sound of the flowing water. Ponte Vecchio, the Old Bridge, another of the most beloved and precious icons of Florence is right there; intact in its beauty. It has been watching the water flow for 700 years.
While contemplating the view, I find myself smiling and breathing deep to capture the moment. My mind goes back to the other exquisite treasures I experienced during the afternoon, the pastries, the espresso, the crafts, the focaccia bread, and the people behind them. A visit to Florence is a sensory voyage that expands the moment and enhances the sensation.